UAB?s Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) has as its long-range mission to reduce the rates of obesity and improve human health and well-being by advancing knowledge and developing innovative solutions for nutrition and obesity through collaborative and interdisciplinary research. We do this by supporting and growing an investigator base of active, funded nutrition and obesity researchers at our institution and facilitating their ability to conduct the most rigorous and insightful research possible. The Administrative Core serves to convene this base of research investigators, to help to grow it by recruiting new investigators into the field of nutrition and obesity from both within and beyond UAB, and to train the next generation of nutrition and obesity research scientists. We also support the scientific community interested in nutrition and obesity research beyond the walls of our institution through our Enrichment Program, including a formal program of national short courses and other offerings supported by additional funds raised beyond those of our NIDDK NORC P30. The Administrative Core takes responsibility for the careful management of all elements of the NORC, including oversight of the cores; interactions with and growth of the membership; announcement, selection, and administration of the Pilot and Feasibility grants; implementation of our training and education programs; fostering growth with our clinical element; strengthening communications with NIH and UAB?s administration; facilitating interactions with other NORCs; continually updating the NORC?s website; philanthropic fundraising to support the NORC?s activities, which resulted in the establishment of two endowed professorships in energetics and healthy lifestyles (the Lavoisier Professorship and the Quetelet Professorship) and one endowed research fund this past cycle; fiscal management; convening, soliciting, and adapting to feedback from the NORC internal and external advisory committees; and finally, ensuring the timely execution of all administrative and regulatory obligations. The Administrative Core works diligently and proactively to not only meet the objectives above but create and foster the conditions that allow our investigators to pursue their scientific ideas with maximal efficiency, ease, and rigor, while also inspiring our current and future investigators to conduct ever more creative and impactful research on nutrition and obesity.